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A fake invoice email can be a demand for payment for something your organization never ordered—or a phishing lure meant to steal credentials or reach company systems. Don’t click its links or open its attachments. Check the purchase against existing records, verify the sender through a contact method you already trust, then report the message through your workplace’s established channel.
Why fake invoice emails can be more than a payment scam
Some messages seek payment for goods or services the organization never ordered. Others use an invoice as bait to get someone to enter a password, disclose account or bank details, or open a malicious file. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) warns that fake invoices can be phishing attempts designed to gain access to a business’s data and networks in its May 2026 alert, “Run a small business? Pay your bills, not scammers.”
An unfamiliar sender, an unexpected amount, an urgent deadline, or an attachment can all be reasons to check carefully, but no single clue proves a message is fraudulent. A message that appears to come from a known supplier still needs to match an authorized purchase and the organization’s payment process.
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- Pause and leave the message untouched. Don’t click links, open attachments, reply with account or bank information, or enter credentials from a page reached through the email. The FTC and Microsoft recommend avoiding links and attachments in suspicious messages. See the FTC’s fake-invoice guidance and Microsoft’s phishing advice.
- Check the underlying purchase. Use your organization’s existing purchase orders, contracts, receipts, vendor records, and approval process to confirm that the goods or services were ordered, the supplier is one the organization uses, and the amount is expected. Don’t let an “overdue” label or urgent tone bypass normal review.
- Verify the request independently. Contact the supplier using a phone number already on file, or reach its website independently rather than using contact details or links in the email. If the invoice claims payment details have changed, treat that as a reason to verify through a trusted channel before acting.
- Report the message. Use your organization’s phishing-reporting button or designated IT/security route and follow its procedures. In Outlook, Microsoft provides a phishing-reporting workflow; available controls depend on the organization’s mail setup. If you are unsure where to report it, ask your manager or IT team.
- Escalate any interaction immediately. If you clicked a link, opened a file, entered a password, shared financial information, or sent payment, notify IT/security and finance promptly under your organization’s incident procedures. The FTC advises changing a compromised password and disconnecting a device infected with malware. Contact your bank about a payment; whether it can be recalled depends on the circumstances and the bank.
For U.S.-based readers, the FTC lists reportphishing@apwg.org for forwarding phishing email and ReportFraud.ftc.gov for reporting scams. Follow employer policy first, and use the appropriate reporting channels for your location.
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How organizations can reduce fake invoices getting paid
Make invoice approval depend on a real purchase
Set a clear process that confirms the purchase was authorized, the supplier is known, the amount matches expectations, and payment details are correct before an invoice is approved. Keep vendor and payment records in a trusted system, and require independent verification when a request conflicts with those records. The FTC’s May 2026 small-business alert recommends close invoice checks and clear purchase and invoice approval procedures.
Give employees a simple reporting route
Make the reporting button or IT/security contact easy to find, and tell staff that reporting a questionable invoice is encouraged. A reliable reporting path helps the organization review messages and respond when someone has already interacted with one. The FTC’s small-business cybersecurity guidance recommends a reporting safety net and staff training.
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Use email authentication and filtering for their distinct roles
Ask the organization’s email provider or administrator about SPF, DKIM, and DMARC for the company’s sending domain. These tools help receiving servers check whether messages claiming to come from that domain are authorized, and can help block or quarantine domain-impersonation attempts. They do not prove that every invoice is safe: a message sent from a legitimate but compromised vendor mailbox may still pass domain authentication. Filtering can help screen suspicious inbound messages, but it is not a substitute for checking a purchase and approving payment through established controls. The FTC explains these protections in its cybersecurity guidance.
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Keep security software and operating-system and application updates current, and train staff to recognize changing phishing tactics. The FTC’s September 2025 guidance on business impersonation also addresses keeping defenses current.
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Back up data for recovery, not inbox prevention
Maintain regular backups, including to an external drive or cloud storage, so the organization has a recovery option if an incident damages or disrupts data. Backups do not reduce fake invoice email volume or prevent an invoice from being paid; they are a resilience measure. The FTC discusses backups in its phishing guidance.
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- FAST & CONVENIENT LOGIN: Plug in your YubiKey 5C NFC via USB and tap it, or tap it against your phone (NFC), to authenticate. No batteries, no internet connection, and no extra fees required
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